A Much Needed Date

Matt and I have resumed our almost-weekly dates. We just get to take a sweet baby with us now. We've been to Thanksgiving Point several times lately. I wanted to share this pretty picture we took on September 17. We were surprised how beautiful it still was.

We also went again the weekend before Halloween and it was gorgeous in fall colors. The trees were bright, the grasses spectacular and everything was perfect!

Salt Lake Connect Pass

Today is the last day! Buy one now!

This is a wonderful deal to do so many things in Salt Lake. You can see it here.

A pass costs $20 for adults and $16 for children. And for that price you get two days of unlimited fun! You can get into the Hogle Zoo, the Clark Planetarium, Tracy Aviary, Red Butte Gardens, the Living Planet Aquarium, This is the Place Pioneer Village, Discovery Gateway, a tram ride at Snowbird, Thanksgiving Point Garden and Dinosaur Museum, a free lunch at the Lion House Pantry and so much more!

That is amazing. If you were planning on doing any of these things, don't miss this chance to get so much more for your money. If you buy today (the last day) and can use it anytime before the end of the year.

Best Board Games for 2008

Trying to save a little money by staying home more often? Try a new game. Our family loves to play games together, and Matt and I love to play games at night after all the crazies are tucked in. The old standbys are great (UNO, Sorry, Monopoly if you must torture yourself), but try a new game. There are so many great new games out there.

Board Game Ratings just announced their Best board game awards for 2008. Check it out.

Brian Stokes Mitchell and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir

One of the best holiday tradition around (to put it lightly) is the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's Christmas concert. Every year we celebrate with the Tab Choir. Our first date was to this very concert in December 1996. We've been every year since, besides the year little Dawn was born. 21,000 lucky souls get to attend each night (that equals 84,000 very cheery holiday revelers--can you revel on Temple Square?). I don't know how many people register for tickets, but one year a poll of my family and friends had only 1 in 14 winning the ticket lottery.


Today the Choir announced that this year Brian Stokes Mitchell (remember he was here) and actor Edward Herrmann are the guest performers. Mitchell is great, we really fell in love with him at the Tanner Gift of Music in September, and I'm sure you will too.

You can register for tickets for two weeks starting on October 25 here.

Christmas is coming!!!

The Tanner Gift of Music and Brian Stokes Mitchell

Saturday, Matt and I went to see the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Utah Symphony in the Tanner Gift of Music. This concert is a "gift" from the Tanners of the O C Tanner company. They have it every 2 or 3 years. This year Brian Stokes Mitchell and Denise Graves were guest soloists as well as the conductor of the Cincinnati Pops Erich Kunzel.

The concert was an "American Songbook" and featured so many great songs from American composers such as Some Enchanted Evening, Come, Come ye Saints, Call of the Champions, Ragtime, and many songs about America, including God Bless America.

It was so great. The songs were all so beautiful and I absolutely loved Mitchell! He had a beautiful and powerful voice and was so very personable.

Mitchell's singing of The Impossible Dream prompted my new week's goal of memorizing the words. I absolutely love this moving song, and you can see a more "actorly" singing of it by Mitchell, below. Enjoy!

Make-a-list Monday--Anniversaries

Ways we have celebrated our anniversary (in no particular order)

1. At the Anniversary Inn in Logan, complete with temple trip and food at the Copper Mill of course---twice I think.
2. A Bed and Breakfast in Park City
3. A B&B in Murray
4. At home with the kids
5. At home without the kids
6. Dinner at Sizzler then home (an early, very cheap one)
7. Dinner at Chef's Table and a B&B in Springville
8. And this year, the Art Ball at the Springville Museum of Art in Springville and a yet-to-come little diversion on some island in the Pacific!!!

P.S. Today I am NOT going to feel guilty about not mopping, because I did it Saturday! Yea! Everyone come look at it. We're having dinner on the floor tonight!

Wilberg's Requiem

Saturday night Matt and I went to the newly refurbished Tabernacle on Temple Square. The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square performed the Mozart Requiem and the world premier of the Wilberg Requiem. It was amazing!

As I listed to the Mozart Requiem, I was entranced. It was beautiful. The 4 soloists were wonderful. We were sitting on the very front row in front of the bass. He was awesome! He was so strong and exciting to listen to, as were the other three. During the intermission I decided that I think I would like to have a requiem, Mozart's of course, sung at my funeral. What a glorious way to go! (I don't think it would fly though.)

It was fun to learn a little more about this requiem. It was commissioned and written in Mozart's last year. It wasn't finished. There is a fair degree of dispute and mystery about how much he actually wrote. Read about it here.

After the intermission, was Wilberg's Requiem. As it began, everything changed. Somehow, I realized that this was going to touch me much more than Mozart's. I don't know what they says about me, but it was true. It was moving. It was transcendent. It was glorious. I loved it.

As I listened to it, it was as if my very soul strained to leave my body and fly upward with the beautiful strains of music. Being checked though, they choked my heart with emotion. I don't know if you can identify with this feeling, but it was glorious. I loved it. I wish I could hear the beautiful music again, today.

I will own a recording of it when it is available, but I know it will not do it justice. I will miss the soaring orchestra and penetrating voices in person. There is just something about live performances.

If you ever can hear this, don't miss it!

P.S. Today I am NOT going to miss the PBS documentary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Follow the link to watch a trailer.